A Health Nerd And A Human Chimney Try CBD Cigarettes And Compare Notes

Putting CBD pre-rolls to the test one smoke sesh at a time.

In case you hadn’t noticed, there are two product all-stars currently skyrocketing in the weed biz: CBD-centric goods and pre-rolled joints. The former, which use the non-psychoactive compound found in the marijuana plant as source material, are hitting consumers via concentrates, flower, pre-rolls, edibles, topicals, and basically every other cannabis derivative. Meanwhile, the latter represents a competitive corner of the market with new players entering the game at a pace that’ll make your stoned little head spin.

Staff Writer Kate Ryan: I’m not a cigarette smoker. But because I’m vain and sometimes nostalgic for an era of glamor that likely never existed, I like the implied aesthetic of smoking cigarettes. Their slim uniformity, the communal aspect among smokers, and the implicit and associated “danger,” all signify something between “laid-back cool kid” and “old-school maverick.” That said, cigarettes will kill you—like, kill you dead—but not before taking all your hard-earned cash first.

So, when I heard there was a non-cancerous alternative that could still make me look like I’m not neurotic about health concerns, I was super down.

Senior Editor Ben Karris: Yeah, I smoke cigarettes––the nicotine-containing, cancer-causing tobacco kind––fairly regularly. I’ve smoked for more than a decade, and now, at 28, I’m smoking close to a pack a day.

KR: Oh shit.

BK: Yeah, I’m basically a human chimney. But sort of like you said, there’s something I like about writing from my Downtown Los Angeles balcony, a cigarette perpetually perched between my lips, ash falling haphazardly all over my pants and keyboard. If I’m driving, I’m smoking. Before, after, and depending on the company, during dinner––I’m smoking. I’m the kind of smoker that talks with a cigarette in my mouth, and inhales/exhales the toxic smoke without even taking it out. I know cigarettes will probably contribute to an earlier death, and I pretend not to notice the dent my habit leaves in my checking account.

KR: Wait, but when do you have time to smoke all the weed then??

BK: I mean, I’ve always been keen to keep my tobacco and weed experiences 100-percent separate. Even while on vacay in Amsterdam, I am not one to ever roll a spliff, or willingly consume nicotine and THC in the same pull. Not that I prefer one over the other (though, let’s be real, I’d probably drop cigarettes before ever quitting weed), but I also view the two substances in completely different lights. Cigarettes are a vice, something I enjoy greatly, but should probably cut back on. Weed is a wellness product. It’s medicine that helps me sleep, eat, stay “clean,” work creatively, and wake up too.

"Spoiler: I loved them."

KR: Oh, I totally get that. Smoking weed for me is all about that ~self-care~ but also about inhabiting a persona I wouldn’t normally have otherwise. Personally, when smoking the Island Premiums, I felt like a pant-suited power broker from the go-go ‘80s, even though I was sitting barefoot on my front porch texting memes to my mom. It’s weird, my tolerance is pretty low for a weed advocate, so it was a nice surprise to smoke an entire CBD cigarette all to myself without falling into a paranoid tailspin. I mean, I’m not a monster, so I shared one with my friend, too, before we saw Baby Driver and still got a light, relaxing high.

BK: For sure, samesies. To me, the Island CBD Premiums seem to be weed’s answer to the cigarette. Spoiler: I loved them. And I’m a slave to ritual and routine, so though I normally enjoy rolling my own doobs as much as I love blazing them down, there was something uniquely pleasurable about pulling out a sleek AF Premiums box on a Sunday afternoon at the Santa Monica Pier. I agree, too, that the CBD premiums delivered the elevation I seek from a traditional pre-roll without an overwhelming high or blood-red, glazed-over gaze. The discrete factor is pretty dope as well.

KR: So, does this mean you’re done with cancer sticks for good?

BK: I wouldn’t say these would completely replace my daily pack. . .

KR: Damnit.

BK: Buuuut I’d certainly substitute a Premium on every other smoke break, if I had more than just this one pack.

KR: Fair enough.

To learn more about Island or grab a pack of pre-rolls for yourself, click here.